Daisy Takes Charge (3 page)

O
nce Maggie was safely away, Daisy flew up to her sister's room. Maggie had no time to think about what to wear. But Daisy had it all in hand – she'd been taught sewing by her Aunt Acacia and planned to use her new-found skills to create a beautiful costume for Maggie.

Daisy rummaged through Maggie's wooden chest, looking for the perfect dress. She couldn't find anything that was suitable. Then her fingers brushed against a parcel at the very bottom of the chest. She moved the clothes aside and lifted it out. Kneeling on the floor, she placed it on her lap. It was carefully wrapped in gum leaves. Daisy's heart beat fast with anticipation. She had a feeling that inside this parcel would be the dress she was looking for. She slowly unwrapped the leaves.

As the parcel fell open, a silky, black fabric slid out into Daisy's lap. Daisy tried to lift it up but it slipped through her fingers like sand. Searching for the shoulder straps, she grasped them tightly and stood up, holding the dress in front of her. It was sleeveless, long and slinky.

A sunbeam shone through Maggie's knothole window. It touched the black fabric and the dress shimmered as though with a thousand stars. Daisy sucked in her breath. She had never seen anything so glamorous. It would be perfect for Maggie's performance.

What a disappointment! With a dress as beautiful as this one, Maggie wouldn't need Daisy to make her a costume. And Daisy had so much wanted to surprise her.

Daisy eyed the black dress again. Maggie was sure to sing with a magpie. With a little white, the dress could be a perfect match.

‘
I
know!' exclaimed Daisy. ‘I'll sew some white, down feathers to the shoulder straps. The little corellas should have some small ones I can use. It will be perfect!'

Daisy wrapped the dress back up again then headed to her bedroom to hide it. It would need to be a secret so as not to spoil Maggie's surprise, and she didn't want Nen or Efa interfering.

First, she would collect the feathers then she would sew them on. It would be the perfect gift for Maggie!

The little corellas often perched in the old angophora tree that grew on the plateau at the edge of the River Sea. As Daisy zoomed through the forest canopy, she made a silent wish that she would find them there today.

She heard them long before the angophora came into view – the raucous shriek of a parrot party in full swing.

Little Corellas were a talkative lot, always arguing about whose story was the best. Efa called them gossipy old birds, but Daisy thought them more like little children, always vying for attention.

Usually Daisy loved to sit and listen to their stories, but today she was on a mission.

Almost every branch of the angophora tree was covered in Little Corellas. There must have been hundreds of them, chattering noisily and playing games.

Daisy landed on a bare branch. One of her friends, a corella named Guinea, swung upside down from the branch above. Daisy reached up to scratch the back of his neck. He bowed his head in delight.

Flying down to perch beside her, Guinea cocked his head to the side, listening, as Daisy explained about Maggie's dress and how she needed some small, white, downy feathers to make it that extra bit special.

‘Will you help me, Guinea?' she asked.

With a loud squawk, Guinea called out to the others. The chatter ceased as the birds stopped to listen.

Then something magical happened . . .

The Little Corellas puffed out their feathers and shook their bodies. The air filled with white tufts of down, swirling and floating on the breeze.

With a giggle of delight, Daisy fluttered through the fluffy cloud of falling feathers, catching them in her hands.
I'm like a mountain fairy, spinning in the snow,
thought Daisy.

With an armful of feathers, she thanked the birds and called out ‘Goodbye', before heading back through the forest towards home. As the chatter of the Little Corellas faded into the distance, Daisy picked up her pace. Maggie was due home at midday. There wasn't a moment to waste!

D
aisy hid the feathers in her room and flew down to the kitchen, walking out onto the leaf litter just as Maggie got home.

‘This timetable was a great idea, Daisy,' said Maggie as she landed. ‘I really feel like I'm getting things done.'

Daisy beamed under the compliment. ‘You
are
getting things done, Maggie. But now it's time for a break.' She cupped her hands around her mouth. ‘VU!' Vu flew out of the forest, followed closely by Nelli.

Maggie's eyes lit up when Nelli landed on her hand. ‘Oh, I've missed you,' she said.

The ladybird chirped her agreement.

Vu landed on Daisy's shoulder, chittering how babysitting ladybirds was hungry work. Daisy laughed. ‘Come on then, Mr Grumpy. Let's get you something to eat.'

In the kitchen, Maggie filled the beetles' food bowls while Daisy threw together a leafy salad.

‘I'm starved,' said Maggie, grabbing her bowl and digging in.

When she finished eating, Nelli joined Maggie and Daisy.

‘Don't get too comfortable, Nelli,' Daisy warned as Vu landed on her shoulder. ‘Or you, Vu! Straight after lunch Maggie has to practise her Songbird Duet, and so the two of you need to find something else to do together.'

Maggie put down her fork. ‘Why can't I take Nelli with me?' she demanded.

‘You need to concentrate,' Daisy replied. ‘Nelli would be a distraction.'

Maggie sighed. ‘I know you're right, but I wish you weren't. I miss her terribly when she's not with me.'

Daisy understood how Maggie felt. She felt exactly the same about Vu.

But she'd promised to help Maggie win the Songbird Festival and that's exactly what she was going to do.

With a quick scratch to the top of Vu's head, Daisy sent him and Nelli outside. She turned back to her sister, ready to enforce her strict timetable.

‘This afternoon, you'll be practising your Songbird Duet. Have you chosen which magpie you'll sing with?'

‘Almost,' Maggie replied. ‘It will be either Stormy or Melody. They're both such pretty singers that I can't decide between them. I figure I'll just ask the first one that I find.'

‘Well, you'd better start looking,' said Daisy, eager to get started on her sewing. ‘This is your only practice before the rehearsal tomorrow.'

‘Consider me gone,' said Maggie, pushing her empty bowl away and heading out. She stopped in the doorway. ‘Thanks, Daisy. I was so nervous yesterday.' She grinned. ‘But today I'm too busy to be nervous.'

‘That's the plan,' said Daisy.

Once Maggie was gone, Daisy flew to her bedroom. The dress and feathers were in the bottom of her clothes chest. She took them out and grabbed the little sewing kit that Aunt Acacia had given her. Daisy settled into a comfy position in her hammock, ready to sew.

As the black dress spilled out of its wrappings, Daisy marvelled again at how soft and delicate it was.

Picking up one of the downy white feathers, Daisy lay it sideways across a shoulder strap of the dress. The feathery part would rest lightly against the edge of Maggie's shoulder.
Yes
, she thought.
That will look just right
.

Cutting a length of white thread, Daisy tied a knot in one end, then poked the other towards the hole in her needle. The thread bent and slid past, missing the hole entirely.

Squinting her eyes in concentration, Daisy brought the needle closer to her face and tried again. This time the thread poked cleanly through.

Smiling, Daisy lifted up the dress and began to sew. Up, over and around the end of the feather, Daisy sewed until the feather was fastened and wouldn't move.

The feather would look very pretty, curving over Maggie's shoulder like a short sleeve. If only her stitches were more delicate. Daisy's forehead creased into a frown as she stared at the clumsy stitching. The white thread stood out starkly against the black fabric, nothing at all like the almost invisible stitches of Aunt Acacia.

A tiny doubt began to nag at the back of Daisy's mind.
Maybe this wasn't such a good idea,
she worried. Her gaze fell on the pile of white feathers. ‘More feathers might hide the stitching,' Daisy told herself.